Preparing For Christmas
WORDS:: Chyka Keebaugh
PHOTOS:: Lisa Atkinson
Firstly, before I get into the fun stuff - get that wreath up on your door! The first of December is the day. Get the tree up, get the wreath up, it’s time to get festive! Got it? OK, now we can continue…
This year is all about the wreath. It is such a versatile decorative tool that can be styled to match your own Christmas theme and it’s something you can get creative with. Wreaths on your door are known to represent two things - some believe wreaths were hung on the doors of homes in ancient Rome to represent victory, in Christianity it is said that the circular shape of the wreath represents eternity. Either way, I love it! Whether your decorative style for the festive season is simple or more is more is more, a wreath will rise to the challenge. Make it fun, make it happy and festive, just be sure that it matches in with the rest of your home. Wreaths are the feature of my Christmas table, but I’ll show you more of that next week.
QUICK TIP...
Don’t want to hammer a nail into your front door to hang your wreath? Just put a removable plastic hook (picture hanger) upside down on the back of your front door, make your ribbon long enough it can hang over the top of the door and hang!
Creative Christmas Wreaths…
A Christmas wreath is the first thing you will see when you enter my home, so it has to be amazing! You can buy basic wreaths from everywhere these days! Spotlight, two dollar stores, Big W, Myer… the list goes on. You can go as elaborate or as simple to suit your home decor knowing that you can add or take away elements. I am keeping it a little more straightforward this year for my Christmas decor and have focused solely on one strong color, so this foliage based wreath works for me. Made from an assortment of foliage; think holly, rosemary, eucalyptus, and fir and secured together with a luxurious bottle green ribbon. The sheer size of the wreath makes it even more stunning and is the perfect welcome sign for all your visitors this festive season.
A smaller version of this foliage wreath can hang in any area of the home, this one is actually a herb wreath that is perfect for giving your kitchen that festive edge. Because really, who makes the wreath rules? You can hang them anywhere - from windows to door handles to chandeliers, you can even suspend them from ceilings in your home! They don’t always need to be hung, placing them on a flat surface, perhaps on a pile of books on your coffee table, even balancing on a shelf or hanging festively on your bathroom wall. Keep it creative and unexpected for maximum effect.
Some fun wreath ideas from the chyka.com archive…
The gift box wreath, simple and fun - a versatile wreath to match back to your gift wrapping and tree. Remember your theme needs to run consistently with your decor and decorations.
The Cookie Cutter wreath - the perfect wreath to hang in the kitchen to inspire all your Christmas baking. Also a great gift idea for the master chefs in the family.
The Pom Pom Wreath, a crafty option that is so effective it can almost stay up all year round. Choose your colour palette and start wrapping, cutting & timing.
GREAT GIFT IDEA...
This is a great gift for garden lover and doubles as a stunning decoration. Simply combine a watering can, seeds and secateurs to a garden hose to create an original gift that is fun to put under the tree. Get creative with your wreath and wreath-inspired gifting and I can guarantee you'll get a few wows come Christmas Day.